A big day today for "Gnoll" the Troll.
When we returned from this year's trip with a broken fridge and a suspect tyre it was decided that we should get a mobile repair man to look at things. However, the one we chose, our local MCEA engineer, (see JohnE's link :- Mobile Caravan Engineers) was booked up for a month until today.
First worry was would his long wheelbase Tranny van cross the rickety bridge that the Troll lives over? Well it did it but with a lot of creaking timber. It's only a 3' span over a deep brook but the bridge really does need to be replaced this year.

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The broken fridge symptoms were that it didn't work on 230V electric although the green running light was on. It did however work on gas and 12V towing electrics.
Our suspicions were a broken element.
After a bit of cussing and cursing about those bl**dy Germans and their insistence on installing fridges on all makes on caravan using 20+ screws in all sorts of hidden places whereas British caravan fridges have 4 fixing screws, the fridge was loose and moved partially forward in about 5 minutes flat. Not only are there 4 screws just inside the vertical walls of the fridge, but the fridge door has to be removed as well as the door lock. All the fridge and cooker knobs have to be unbolted and the long aluminium fascia with the Eriba logo has to be unscrewed and removed before the fridge can be drawn forward.
The removal of the element and its replacement are then tackled from outside the van, through the fridge vent apertures.
For those like me who don't have a clue what a fridge element looks like, I've included a photo of a dead one.

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The tyre problem was that a perfectly good tyre decided to wear heavily on its offside during the course of the 1000 mile journey south although the spare didn't show any signs of wear on the return trip. The engineer also spent a lot of time underneath the van, removed the wheels and hubs, checked the brakes, fitted new one shot nuts and removed about a bucket full of French dust from the underside. Checked and greased the corner steadies and checked the ALKO tow hitch and stabiliser pads.

Invited me to stay and watch. Gave lots of advice and tips about this and that and didn't stop once, not even for a cuppa.

All in all, about 2 1/2 hours work. Parts and Labour :- £130.00

Don't know whether that's reasonable or not but I'm quite happy. He covers the whole of South Wales (and has been known to venture over the border) and I've linked him (Will Close of Caliam Caravan Services) in the appropriate links section below.
Randa

No Alan, it was far more simple than that. The bl**dy G n' T was warm....
Seriously though, our green 230V running light does switch on and off although when on, it doesn't mean that the fridge is working.
As for the red 12V indicator switch. It only works when:-
1) The green light is off.
2) We are plugged into the car and the car engine is running.
We were only able to ascertain that this was working as the fridge was far cooler after a journey than it was when we started out.
Randa

An interesting post, Roger. Thanks for the picture of the element. Do you know if the 240V and 12V heaters are combined in the same unit or are they separate?

When the gas/12V only fridge in our old VW Devon camper gave up the ghost in a heatwave in France many years ago, the first we knew about it was when butter ran onto the floor when we opened the door in the morning. I have to agree though that a warm G&T is FAR more serious.

Glad it's all fixed. Your mobile engineer sounds like a real find.

Zitat

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Do you know if the 240V and 12V heaters are combined

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I honestly don't know Brian. All I know is that the fridge worked surprisingly well on 12V when towing. From a warm fridge start, a couple of 100 miles and the fridge was quite cold when we arrived at our next stop.
Randa

Oh I see, you say "Element", Brian says "Heater". Yes, of course, the elements must be separate other wise our fridge would not have worked on 12V. Also there's no temperature adjustment on the 12V set up.
Randa

What, you have an interior fridge light? How posh is that....
Just a couple of more points to drive you mad.
a) Do you know if the light goes off when the fridge door is closed?
b) If it does then perhaps it automatically turns the fridge back on when the door closes.

There's only one thing for it. You're going to have to climb inside and find out for us...